a/n have fun reading this. I don't own the characters. Never have. Never will. And unless you're J.K. Rowling or on her will, neither will you.


Hermione sat up with a start. Who the hell was banging so loudly at two in the morning? She hoped Ron or Harry hadn't gotten drunk. It only meant she had to take care of them when they were in hangover mode. But it didn't sound like drunken stumbling. It sounded like someone was banging on a pot with a spoon.

She got out of bed and peeked over the banister of the stairs into the kitchen. Then she shrieked and dashed down the stairs. "You're not supposed to be back for three days!"

"Our new bitch of a Captain flaked out. We can't celebrate without the one who made it so." Ginny smiled. "We postponed. Now, where is that git brother of mine, because you are not about to tell me you're not shacking up with him."

"I'm not shacking up we just live together. Harry's here too."

"All right. Heavy sleepers they are." She whistled loudly. "OI, YOU TWO GITS! WAKE UP!"

"Think that might get them."

Harry looked over the banister and grinned. "No fair. I can't surprise you, but you can surprise us?"

"This surprise was not my fault." She looked upstairs. "Blimey, does he not recognize my voice? How much have you taught him in a year and a half that pushed out all his memories of his precious little sister? RON!"

Ron trudged out of a bedroom on the second floor and looked down. "Gin?"

"No, Father Christmas. Yes, of course it's me."

"You weren't supposed to come back for like…until Monday."

"Friday morning doesn't suit you? I'll come back Monday then." He shook his head.

"No. How's the team?"

"Great. They all can't stop laughing their asses off that we won."

"League Cup is a big deal, Gin, especially the third time in a row." Hermione said. "You caught that Snitch pretty damn fast."

She shrugged. "What've you got to eat in this place? I'm close to starving here."

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"So what's it like being a Holyhead Harpy?"

"Exhausting and hungering. That new bitch would barely let us eat, it's like she wanted us to all be nice and anorexic." She laughed. "Kept us on a strict protein and carbohydrate diet. No artificial sweeteners, no sugar, no artificial coloring, no artificial anything. It was basically whole-wheat pasta, water, a handful of almonds, and boiled, skinless chicken. Then an apple for dessert. For almost eighteen months. I'm going to gorge myself." She said, taking another spoonful of cereal. "I probably weigh less than I have in years."

"No, you probably weigh more. It's all just muscle."

"Cause that's all that's left." She poured milk over another bowl. "You want some, My?"

"No, I'm good."

"Morning, My." Harry yawned. Hermione did not recall at what point they started calling her that, but it's stuck ever since. "Morning Gin."

"Mornin', Harry." Ginny said through a mouthful of cereal. "The Git still sleeping?"

"Yes." Harry said, an odd look on his face. He realized he was the only person who didn't have a nickname.

"Well, we don't have a room for you, Gin, but you can share with me until we can expand."

"Thanks, I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here."

"It's morning already? Oh, I see I'm the last one up. Morning My, morning Harry, morning Gin."

"Morning, Git." Ginny said with a yawn, pouring more cereal. He scratched his head.

"Are you planning to eat that whole box today?"

"You would too if you spent the last year and a half living off of whole wheat, water, the healthiest possible way you can cook chicken, apples, and nuts. The only surprise was to discover what was crumbled next to the chicken on your plate: cashews or peanuts."

"That sounds like fun."

"It was even more fun when it was your turn to smash them. You got to use a hammer." She said. Ron rolled his eyes, but Hermione laughed.

"Sounds like it sucked."

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"Three seasons is quite enough, I think." Ginny said, collapsing on the bed.

"Move over, we haven't all spent the last eighteen months on water and apples." Hermione said. Ginny laughed and scooted over. "So, Gin, exactly how tired are you?"

"This is a trick, isn't it?" She yawned. "You're always doing this, My. I'm so tired I'm asleep right now. This is just a recording because I knew you would ask me this question."

"This is just a recording too, Gin, because I knew you would give me that answer." She yawned too. "By the way, do you remember when you all started calling me My?"

"Do you remember when you all started calling me Gin? It just kind of happened, My. And either way, it's pretty. Has a nice little ring to it." She was asleep before Hermione had the time to answer.

Hermione looked down at Ginny before turning out the light. She really was beautiful. Her flowing red hair was bunched to the side and over her right shoulder. Her big, brown eyes that were temporarily covered. She was small, but still, she had great figure. Hermione wished she could stop thinking about it. It was all she had been thinking about for eighteen months. Her hair, her eyes, her body; her slender, gorgeous body, her large, expressive eyes, her sleek, shining hair. The way her eyes glittered when she was happy. The way her hair swept behind her when she turned. The way her stomach showed when she stretched.

She turned out the light, anticipating more dreams.

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"Gin really likes to sleep, doesn't she?" Ron yawned. "And she made fun of me."

"Shut up, Git, she's exhausted. She hasn't slept in three days."

"My, if you start calling me Git I'm gonna hex you." Ron threatened, but then Hermione placed her spoon down and stared at him. He looked down at his breakfast, mumbled something, and kept eating. Harry walked down the stairs.

"Morning My, morning Git."

"Not you too!"

Harry shrugged. "Gin's right. You are a git."

"You realize that leaves you the only one without a nickname?" Ron said, hoping that Harry's immature side would shine and he would leave it to the girls. But instead, he shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that."

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"Er—Gin? I wanted to talk to you about something." Harry said, knocking softly on the door. Ginny smiled and patted the bed next to her.

"Come in. It's been ages since we've been alone together."

"Yeah, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." He said. "I know that it's probably still weird to be asking this, wanting it really, but I just need to know. The last few years you've been busy with the team, but now, I hope you'll answer me." He took a deep breath and looked at her. She seemed confused. "Would—would you ever want to…maybe, I mean…get—get back together?"

Ginny frowned. "Harry—I really liked you. For a long time. I don't think I ever stopped. But over the last few years…it died. I don't know how to say this. I still like you, but not as much. And mostly, it's that…there's someone else, Harry. There's someone else I like. And I think I'd be happier with them than with you. I'm really sorry. Please don't hate me. I want to be close. Just not as close."

"I understand. I want to be close also. Thank you, Gin."

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

"You can't help it. Don't be sorry."

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He was an idiot. More of an idiot than Ron. Come on! He told her not to be sorry? She should be very sorry! He loved her. She…didn't. 'There's someone else, Harry.' 'I think I'll be happier with them'.

Them?

It just occurred to him. She had said 'them'. Not 'him'— 'them'. What did that mean? Was their more then one person? No, because she said there was someone else. But then why did she say 'them' and not 'him'? Was it just a simple slip of the tongue? Had she meant to say 'him', but 'them' accidently came out?

"Oh my god." Harry gaped as he realized what it meant.

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"My, you should tie your hair up."

"Why?"

"You have such a pretty face. But your bangs are always covering it. I think it's horrible that your hair is the first thing everyone sees."

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing. But your face is so beautiful." She said, taking Hermione's hair and tying it into a ponytail. "See? That's not so bad. And now everyone can see your face."

"You sound like my mother."

"I'm not your mother. I'm your friend. And friends help friends. I'm just trying to help." Ginny said. Harry walked slowly into the room, an oddly vacant look on his face. Ginny stood. "Are you okay, Harry?"

Harry looked at Hermione, then Ginny. "My, could you excuse us a second?" He croaked.

Hermione looked up at Ginny, who sighed and shrugged. She stood and walked past Harry, sneaking a look at him before shutting the door behind her. Harry sat on the bed, and Ginny sat next to him, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"You said 'them'."

"What?"

"You said you'd be happier with them. You didn't say you'd be happier with him."

She let her hand fall to her side. She stood up and walked to the other side of the room, her arms crossed. When she got to the other side, she turned around and looked at him, her side resting against the wall. "What's your point?"

"Them? Why would you say them if you meant him? You didn't mean him, did you, Ginny?"

Ginny. Jesus, she was in trouble now. He knew. Her secret was out. She thought she had done so well hiding it for so long. But one little slip of the tongue to the wrong boy. The one boy who would think about what she had said for hours.

"You didn't mean him, did you?" He repeated. Ginny sighed.

"No." She said, looking at her feet. "I didn't mean him. It's not a…it's not a man."

"You're a lesbian?"

Ginny glared at him. "My apologies for being who I am. But I've liked this girl for a long time and I've finally accepted it. Before I was denying who I am. But now I know perfectly well what I am. I'm a lesbian. And I have no problem with it."

"What about…at Hogwarts you dated so much. Michael, Dean…me. Wh—what were we to you?"

She looked down at her feet. "Distractions, I guess. I thought maybe if I went out with some guys, I would realize that I was straight. That I really did like guys, not girls. But I'm not, Harry. I love this girl. And I'm sure of that."

"But…but, Ginny…Gin, I love you."

She closed her eyes. "I know you do. And I'm sorry. But it won't happen. This is who I am. And…I think this is also what the girl I like is. I hope at least."

"Would—would it be weird to ask who it is?"

"Incredibly weird. Terrifyingly weird. You do not want to know who she is. Just that I love her. I'm sorry. But I can't help who I am. I can't help who I fall in love with." She walked back to the bed and sat down. "Harry, just please—don't tell anyone. I don't think I'm ready to tell people yet. I mean…I spent three years on an all-woman Quidditch team. That's creepy when you're a lesbian."

"No, I assume it was paradise being with all those girls. It's just a little creepy hearing about it."

Ginny glared at him. "I was not in paradise. You don't fall for every girl you see, do you?" Harry shook his head. "Neither do I."

Harry stood up and shuddered. "I should not be having this conversation with you! You've always seemed so…normal."

He always wished the warning bell in his head would go off before he said something.

Ginny stood up and poked a finger in his chest. "Just because I'm a lesbian doesn't make me a freak. I'm sick and tired of all you people who think we're a different species. You expect me to be some walking stereotype?"

"No, it's just…you haven't shown a single sign that you might even think you're a lesbian."

She shrugged. He sighed. "Okay then. I won't bring it up again."

"At least not when other people are around. If you ever just want to talk about it, you and me, I'll be fine."

"Yeah. Okay."